1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a maintenance service for an information processing apparatus provided with a communication function.
2. Related Art
In operation of each of various information processing apparatuses, such as a computer, a printer, or a measuring instrument, it is common to entrust a maintenance service to an external service providing entity. Such a maintenance service is provided in a system in which, for example, when an abnormal condition has occurred in an information processing apparatus, a user thereof notifies a maintenance service provider of the occurrence of the abnormal condition, and upon reception of the notification, the maintenance service provider guides the user about a method of resolving the abnormal condition or copes with it by dispatching a service personnel to a place where the information processing apparatus is installed.
As an example of such a service providing method, in JP-A-2011-049691, there is disclosed a system in which, when a call-back request is issued by a service user to a service center established by a service provider, an estimated clock time when a call-back from the service center can be made is transmitted to the user side. This system is intended to eliminate a discontent of the service user to a waiting time until the provision of a required service.
The above existing technology is intended to mitigate a discontent of a user by clearly indicating a waiting time, but does not necessarily make it possible to shorten the waiting time itself. Further, it is not until the establishment of dialogue through a call-back that the content of a request by a service user (a user) is transmitted to a service center, and thus, as a result, it takes further time until the user can obtain his or her desired result.